[Milsurplus] AAR Hagerstown

[Ray Fantini]

AAR Hagerstown MVPA Military Vehicle Show and Sale, May 5th and 6th, 2023 in Hagerstown Maryland.


What was supposed to be achieved by this project?


This show was once known as the “Aberdeen” show. It’s been at the Hagerstown regional Airport complex, the one time home of Fairchild – Republic and today a public airfield and Museum.

I have been going to this show for years. For the last several shows I brought out the M151A1 along with its radios and set up and operate at the event. The Blue & Gray Military Vehicle Trust operates the show and during the event over the years have discovered that a lot of people enjoying telling stories and seeing all this gear up and running.

The plan for this year included the regular field RTTY and USB voice operations on the Saturday morning Nets along with a new challenge to our west coast brothers to do a cross country QSO to their annual event at the National Guard base in San Luis Obispo.


What was actually achieved?


 Arrived at seven that morning with mutt and got set up in row B space six. The only scheduled contact was with N6CC at five that afternoon so took advantage of all the free time to look around the event and see what was available. Saw several people that I knew, and time was spent talking. Around five that afternoon cranked up the GRC-106 on 18.145 and did several calls for N6CC and although did hear something down in the noise was not able to make the QSO, did talk to a couple stations down in Florida and someone out in North Dakota on that channel but no luck with the west coast group, did learn after the fact that they did hear me but by the time they came back with more power I had gone QRT.

I used the AN/GRC-106A with a Tough book laptop for RTTY running Mitty software and the same antenna for the 7296 net at ten that morning. Only had about six or so stations on the forty meter voice net, dropped the mast and installed the antenna cut for 5357 for the M & S Net at noon. It was good to work that net again after the lack of successes at home and Cape Henlopen.  Started packing up around three and was off the site by four.


What aspects of the project work?


The antennas and radios all performed well. Using the vertical for seventeen meters works but have to wonder if a new cut antenna for 18.145 may be in order? Because of all the issues with generator noise was not able to use the MEP-025 generator and had to run the engine in the mutt during all scheduled transmission times and that works but the vibration and heat of the running engine was annoying.

Once again, the PRC-25/77 set up was a big hit, people love to see and talk about that radio.


  What didn't work and why?


The seventeen meters contact was going to be a big deal if we were able to pull it off, but because of a failure to coordinate and on my part of not maintaining diligence in continuing to monitor beyond the scheduled time it failed. Forty meters was also challenging on Saturday but was still able to get into the MMRCG net and last but not least having to run the engine on the mutt sucks. Need to find a better way of powering everything but considering it’s not just the GRC-106 also have to power the VRC-12 set up along with the URC-110 at some field operations I can draw shore power and use that to run everything but not at Hagerstown. Don’t want to use a modern generator being it would not be period correct.


 What would you change if given a second chance?


Exchange phone numbers so we can use text messaging as a backup channel! The laptop I use for RTTY had seen a wireless network available but never thought to use that, the cell can also be used for text but never thought to do all that in advance. Would have been something to pull off that cross country QSO but looks like it won't be happening this time.

I still want to try to get others out and doing things, there were at least a dozen licensed Hams on site with handhelds, PRC-25/77 and VRC-12 sets but other than a couple times on 51.0 when talking with someone to test a radio nothing was heard. Will have to say that I did not listen over the entire event but whenever I was around the mutt had the RT-524 cranked up. Still have to wonder what it's going to take to get people to come out and take part.


Ray F/KA3EKH






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